Washington: Scientists have developed a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 that produces ‘extremely high levels’ of protective anti-bodies in animal models. The development of this vaccine candidate may lead to a novel therapeutic to curb the pandemic.
According to the researchers, the nanoparticle vaccine produces virus-neutralising antibodies in mice. The antibodies are at levels much greater than is seen in people who have recovered from the disease. Some of the researchers belong to the the University of Washington (UW) School of Medicine in the US,
The study has been published in the journal ‘Cell’. The study noted that it generates 10 times more neutralising anti-bodies in mice, even at a six-fold lower vaccine dose. The vaccine candidate also shows a strong B-cell immune response after administration, which can be critical for a durable vaccine effect.
When a single non-human primate was immunised with the vaccine, the scientists said the candidate therapeutic produced neutralizing anti-bodies targeting multiple different sites on the spike protein of the coronavirus, which it uses to enter human cells. They said this may ensure protection against mutated strains of the virus, should they arise.
According to the study, the molecular structure of the vaccine roughly mimics that of a virus, which may account for its enhanced ability to provoke an immune response.
“We hope that our nanoparticle platform may help fight this pandemic that is causing so much damage to our world,” said Neil King, a co-author of the study from UW Medicine. “The potency, stability, and manufacturability of this vaccine candidate differentiate it from many others under investigation,” King added.